Giclee Print Canvas

Question Is a giclee print, art print or stretched canvas print better?
There is a painting I have always loved, but I don't want to get a basic $10 poster. I want something that looks decent but won't cost me an arm and a leg. What is the differences (good and bad) between a giclee print, art print, and stretched canvas print?

Best Answer I think it is best to do a Giclee. Most of the expense is in the scan which is about 50.00. If you can take a good picture yourself of your art you can take a CD with your digital picture into the digital printer and have them print it for you. Then you can stretch your canvas yourself. I have a 16 x16 painting and the giclee was ninety dollars which included the scan (a one time fee) and stretching the canvas. When I took in my digital picture and stretched the canvas myself the exact same size cost $12.00. You can always paint over your giclee to enhance it and then seal it with varnish.

Question Giclee print vs. canvas print vs. oil reproduction?
I want to buy a certain piece of wall art. Would a giclee or canvas print look pretty close to the original or tacky? Is it worth it to shell out $300 for an oil reproduction? What kind of quality can I expect from an oil reproduction?

Best Answer It depends on your purpose really. Do you want a piece of art that will increase its worth in time? Or do you just want something that looks aesthetically pleasing on your wall? Or something that could fool a viewer into thinking it was original? Personally, I think that Giclée prints look more tasteful than canvas prints, but Giclée prints are not pretending to be the real deal, and a canvas print is more likely to fool the viewer (although only an inexperienced one). Generally, the more you pay, the better quality you will get. But sometimes simple is best.

Question how do I Paint over a canvas print (giclee)?
I have a project where I am altering a few old paintings (last supper.. Ect) I have the pictures printed from a website on canvas and I wanted to know the medium of paint I would need to paint on the surface because I heard oil doesn't work? Please help this project is due in a week and if it's not possible I need to know so I can switch directions and no I do not have the prints yet to test paint on them

Best Answer personally I don't see why oils wouldn't work I think they would be fine to use but they may not dry in time for you oil paints take a while to dry. other then that acrylics should work also but I would use the more expensive acrylics not the little bottles that are a dollar at hobby lobby and michaels, just to be sure that the adhere to your surface. Personally I would use the oils if its okay to turn the assignment in not quite dry cuz I think they have a better range of shades and can be blended while painting a lot easier. Hope this helps!

Question Art collectors: What's the difference between giclee, lithograph, canvas, and print?
I'm having a very tough time trying to understand this market. I want very much to be able to invest in something unique and special that is beautiful to me and will be a smart investment. I see so many things advertised as signed and numbered w/ COA or COL but surely they can't all be the best to collect. Can you help me understand and make an informed decision?

Best Answer so hang in there with me this may take awhile a giclee in usually nothing more than a very high quality REPRODUCTION of something usually a photo of a painting or a photo itself. These can be made in the thousands and regardless of what guarantee you get... more can be done anytime by simply changing then a Small fractional amount and calling it a "second state" then a third yadda yadda yadda you get the picture A lithograph can be one of three things it can be offset litho "read magazine and repros in the 1000s" or original litho from either a stone or plate printed by hand either by the artist or a professional who is trained in that kind of work, me for instances. that litho is a 40 step process by hand in fairly small editions and they are numbered ands signed by the artist with a certificate of authenticity that gives date paper type... artist ..printer.. and amount in the edition and how that amount is split up, artist proofs, printer proofs collectors proofs museum proofs regular edition, preferred edition (usualy on very fine paper Canvas is just that... either painting down on an exceptable substrate such as canvas, masonite etc then there are prints on canvas again another reproduction. Prints can refer to anything from a book plate to a real hand made print like litho above or just another big batch run off by high speed machinery and barely worth the paper they are printed on even if they are signed by hand on the print you are basically either buying it because you like kittens or horses or whatever or you are paying for a name. A fine art print with documentation which anyone selling one should have with their siguature on it that you saw them sign and a registered stamp on it to boot. The very best thing that you can do is study study study get to know what it is you want to buy and then pick something that you really like to look at before the profit is a factor because it may never do what you want it to in the market but you would still have it for the original reason that you bought it becuse you liked it hope that helps try to get a used copy of The Art of the Print by Fritz Eisenberg it is the print bible